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As I mentioned in Sunday’s announcement, our recognition of authority is vitally connected to our faith in God. Said another way, we must recognize the authority of Jesus if we are going to exercise faith that attracts his praise.

And we must exercise faith if we are going to successfully engage with authority in this age. Whether we are called to exercise authority (fathers, parents, husbands, employers, pastors, civil servants, etc) or to submit to authority (children, wives, employees, church members, citizens, etc), it is difficult to deal with authority in a fallen world. Next week we will look briefly at some of the times that we might rightfully resist authority, but today we look at the positive role of authority in the Christian’s life.

God has given us authorities, as Romans 13 makes clear. And those who are called to authoritative roles must see those callings as coming from God himself. Which raises the question of how the God-man viewed authority. Jesus gave us a biblical insight into authority in the famous account of washing the feet of disciples. Here’s the story, from John 13:

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

Now note Jesus’ interpretation:

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Jesus accomplished a delicate balance here–he fundamentally transformed the idea of exercising authority to an orientation to service; but he did so without abolishing authority itself. He said, “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.” Jesus’ service of his disciples did not abolish his position and authority. He is our Lord and Teacher. But his authoritative position was not about maximizing his comforts and wealth, but rather for serving those with whom he was entrusted. We see this dynamic in other spheres as well. Here are just two examples:

Pastors (1 Peter 5:1-4):

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Fathers (Ephesians 6:4):

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

And what about when we are called to submit? What should our stance be then?

Church members (1 Peter 5:5):

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Children (Ephesians 6:1-3):

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Much more could be said, but those should give us a brief taste of the goodness and blessing of authority. Also notice the promises of reward in those verses–humility in both the exercise of and submission to authority receive tremendous promises of reward.

This is truly a rich topic, so we hope to see you at seminar as we flesh these truths out a bit more. (Register here).

95 Theses and then some

Middle Age art is almost vaudeville in its division of secular and sacred. There was church art and church music, sacred in every stroke and tone, papal in its palettes. And then there was secular art and music, fit for the rest of life when outside the cathedral walls. 1517 changed all that with Martin Luther, a young monk who had enough of the selling of forgiveness and the gospel-clouding errors of the medieval papacy. His 95 Theses started the Protestant Reformation, and brought a new era to the understanding of the wholeness of true Christian living.

Luther recognized and clearly taught that for the Christian, whatever calling God bestows, it is a holy calling. The farmer, priest, politician and peasant worker each held their stations in life according to God’s gracious and holy purposes – and so long as they pursued them in faith, so God was glorified.  Luther’s convictions on vocation (a.k.a., “calling”) was in stark contrast to the then taught distinctions within the Catholic Church, distinctions that made those who “took up the cloth” or who entered the holy life of monasticism of higher status before God than other vocations, and those activities that were overtly religious as earning greater favor with God.

Luther’s understanding of vocation flows directly from the New Covenant in Jesus:

“All our work in the field, in the garden, in the city, in the home, in struggle, in government– to what does it all amount before God except child’s play, by means of which God is pleased to give his gifts in the field, at home, and everywhere? These are the masks of our Lord God, behind which he wants to be hidden and to do all things.” (Luther’s Exposition on Ps. 147)

For the artist and his art, for the musician and the listener, this is an enlightening truth: that as we set to use our gifts, there are no distinctions between sacred/secular as long as we offer them in faith and with eye to Jesus Christ. Hear reformer John Calvin’s voice alongside Luther’s:

“The Lord bids each one of us in all life’s actions to look to his calling.  For God knows with what great restlessness human nature flames, with what fickleness it is borne hither and thither, how its ambition longs to embrace various things at once. Therefore, lest through our stupidity and rashness everything be topsy-turvy, he has appointed duties for every man in his particular way of life. And that no one may thoughtlessly transgress his limits, he has named these various kinds of living “callings”. Therefore each individual has his own kind of living assigned to him by the Lord as a sort of sentry post so that he may not heedlessly wander about throughout life…and so that no task will be so sordid and base, provided you obey your calling in it, that it will not shine and be reckoned very precious in God’s sight.” (Institutes, III.xi.6)

Here is the end result of this reformation when applied to the music and the arts: no matter our station of life and our particular tastes or output of art – each has the potential to honor the Lord Jesus, to become springboards to glory!

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David and Sarah Erk Make Headlines — The Erks serve Crossway in many ways, particularly as care group leaders. On Friday, readers of the Lancaster Newspapers opened the front page and saw David and Sarah’s smiling faces accompanying a feature story that documented the help they received from a local volunteer group in 2011 when their basement was flooded by Tropical Storm Lee. Read the article by clicking here.

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I’m sure you have heard of the wild fires in Colorado Springs Colorado, well I have family within a few miles. The whole city of Colorado Springs needs our prayers. Several hundred people have lost there homes, thousands have been evacuated.

So far my family is OK, pray for rain, pray for wind to die down, and for safety for all the firefighters, and the whole city. Most importantly pray that people would turn to God for comfort.

This fire is a menace! The evacuation zones keep growing and moving closer.
**BREAKING NEWS** El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa: The Black Forest fire evacuation area covers 94,000 acres. 360 homes have been destroyed; thus becoming the worst devastating wildfire in Colorado history. – PC  (This was coming from my sister in law)

http://gazette.com/live-updates-360-homes-lost-in-black-forest-fire/article/1502250

Thanks Ivan

A Prayer for Seeing and Believing Much More of the Gospel

“The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Cor. 4:4

Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for the gift of another day. In keeping with the heartbeat of this Scripture, please fill my gaze with your beauty, my mind with your truth, and my heart with more of the gospel—much more of the gospel.

Satan doesn’t work hard just to keep unbelievers in the dark about the gospel, but believers as well. I know I need the gospel today just as much as when I was still dead in my sins and trespasses (Eph. 2). So by the Spirit, through the Word, Lord Jesus, please reveal more and more of the gospel to me—more and more of who you really are; more and more of what you’ve already accomplished by your life, death, and resurrection.

More and more of what you’re continuing to do in your commitment to make all things new; more and more of what it’s going to be like to live with you, and the whole family of God, in the new heaven and new earth. Show me, convince me, dazzle me, change me; and then show me still more.

Don’t let me frame any notion of God apart from you, for you are the very image of God—God incarnate. Don’t let me read any part of the Bible without thinking about you—for everything written about you in the law of Moses, the Prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44).

Don’t let me desert you by turning to some other gospel—which is really no gospel at all (Gal. 1:6-7). As the gospel is producing fruit and growing all over the world, so may it enlarge my heart and bring forth fruit, in me and through me, to your glory (Col. 1:6).

Lord Jesus, if you’ve moved me from total blindness to a 20/200 vision of the gospel, take me on to 20/100, then 20/50, then 20/20, then 20/15, until the day I see you with glorified eyes. In that day I will see you as you are, and I will be like you (1 John 3:2). Hallelujah, many times over! By the light of this hope, I surrender to your purposes for this day. So very Amen I pray, in your peerless name and praise-worthy name.

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Last week we laid out some basic principles on authority in this world, and next week we’ll begin to look at some of the specifics of what it means to both submit to and exercise authority faithfully. But before we go there we must turn to the source and standard for our ideas on authority, God’s word.

God has great regard for his word. It is how he accomplishes his purposes:

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

We also must regard God’s word with reverence and respect because of its power and truth. In fact, his word is immensely powerful:

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light…And God said…and there was…And God said…and there was…

Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14-15, 20-21

His Word sits above us and ought to humble us:

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Isaiah 66:2b

It has been given to us as the authoritative revelation and standard for the Christian life:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

And finally, the Westminster Confession of Faith sums up the why of the authority of Scripture–it is authoritative because it is God’s Word:

The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.

(WCF I,iv)

When we come to understand any topic in this world we begin with God’s word, because it alone is inerrant and it alone comes to us from God. As we read the Bible, God speaks to us. He reveals himself to us and he shows us his truth. He explains how we are to live lives that honor him in his world.

God’s word is therefore the standard by which we judge all claims to truth. It is the authority for understanding and determining truth from falsehood, and it sits above us all. No Pope, pastor, or priest can bind our consciences with anything other than God’s word. It will not do to appeal to councils, creeds or any other documents if those things are found to be contrary to God’s word. His word stands supreme. Again, the Westminster divines sum it up beautifully:

The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture.

(WCF I, x)

This is one of the great legacies of the Reformation–and getting this one right is vital if we are going to live faithful Christian lives. As we deal with a challenging and controversial subject like authority it is especially important that we be clear on the authority of Scripture itself. Only as we submit humbly to its authority and truth can we hope to know the truth and life that God intends for us to gain.

Next week we’ll look at some of the exercises of authority, and the final week will begin to address when and how we might resist authority. But short blog posts will never suffice to cover all that the Bible says about these things, so please register now and plan on joining us on June 29.